Hello everyone and welcome to day 19 of my review challenge! Today’s review is on my current favourite moisturizer. This is the Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief, which is a gel moisturizer that is very hydrating. I have repurchased this moisturizer three times now and I don’t foresee myself switching to anything else any time soon.

Packaging and First Impressions

The packaging of this moisturizer is very simple. All sizes come in a plastic pot, other than the smallest size (0.5 oz), which comes in a squeezy tube. The jar is clear so that you can see the gel inside, and the lid is a shiny silver. The look is very classic Clinique. Something that would hugely improve this packaging were if it were to have a pump. As it is right now, you have to dip your fingers in to get product, which is of course unhygienic, and I just don’t like having to put my fingers in things. Especially if I have long nails. So it’s not preferable, but it doesn’t bother me a whole lot because I only ever buy the smaller size of this moisturizer (you will see why below). Therefore, it doesn’t last as long as the largest size would, so bacteria have less time to accumulate.

This moisturizer has a pink tint and is a gel. It is very light weight and has no noticeable scent.

Price and Quantity

There are 4 different sizes of this moisturizer carried at Sephora: a 0.5 oz ($13 CAD, $12 USD), 1 oz ($19 CAD, $19 USD), 1.7 oz ($46 CAD, $39 USD) and 2.5 oz ($61 CAD, $52.50 USD). Usually the bigger the size, the better the deal, right? You will see shortly that this is not the case for this product.

For comparison, another Clinique moisturizer that I used to use was the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, which is $34 CAD for 4.2 oz. Another gel moisturizer that I would like to try is the Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Drink of H2O Hydrating Boost Moisturizer, which is $47 CAD for 1.7 oz. Right now, I am trying a deluxe sample of the Tatcha Water Cream, which is $82 CAD for 1.7 oz. Here are the comparisons, organized from best deal to worst deal:

Rank

Company’s Product Mentioned Above

Cost
($ CAD)

Quantity (oz)

Cost-Quantity Ratio for 1 oz of product

1

Clinique DDMG

$34

4.2

$8/oz

2

Clinique MSETR 1

$19

1

$19/oz

3

Clinique MSETR 2.5

$61

2.5

$24/oz

4

Clinique MSETR 0.5

$13

0.5

$26/oz

5

Clinique MSETR 1.7

$46

1.7

$27/oz

6

Tarte Drink of H2O

$47

1.7

$28/oz

7

Tatcha Water Cream

$82

1.7

$48/oz

You can also see that the best deal within the sizes of the Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief is the 1 oz jar. This is the size that I have been repurchasing over and over because it is the best deal by far out of all the sizes. The pricing scheme is kind of bizarre. One thing to note is that not all retailers carry the 1 oz size. So far, I have only seen this size online at Sephora, and online at Ulta. It doesn’t seem to be on the Clinique website, and I haven’t seen it in store anywhere. This availability doesn’t bother me, it is so easy to order online from Sephora.As you can see, the best deal is the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing gel, however, I switched from using the moisturizer because it is not quite as hydrating. Because this product is so inexpensive for the amount you get, there is probably a decent amount of filler in there.

Also, that pricing of the Tatcha Water Cream is insane! I hope I won’t like it so much after using up my sample, that I will want to buy the full size!

If you want to know more…This refreshing, oil-free cream-gel is a “drink” for skin, continuously plumping its appearance with hydration. The luxurious, addictive texture and ultra-hydrating formula make it a frequent fliers’ favorite. It improves the appearance of fine lines, flakiness, and tightness, leaving skin looking and feeling happier and healthier—even through shifts in humidity. It immediately cools and refreshes for a soft, smooth complexion. It can be used as a five-minute moisture mask, or over makeup for a luminous glow.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:– Parabens

What else you need to know:This product is allergy tested, non-acnegenic, and free of fragrance and oil.”

It is important to know that Clinique is not a cruelty free brand.

Performance

About three months ago I switched to this moisturizer. For 1-2 years before this, I had been using the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. I had been under the impression that my skin was all oily, so I needed a light moisturizer. I turned out to be half right. Over the last 6 months I have learned a lot about my skin. The main thing is that, while I do certainly have oily areas, I have a lot of areas that are normal to dry. Therefore, I need to be using more hydration rather than less hydration.

For around 6 months before I tried Moisture Surge, I had been on a break from the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, and was trying to use creams as my moisturizer. I eventually learned that creams just do not work for my skin. Even if the product states it is non-comedogenic, creams still clog my pores and cause acne. Now I have learned that gel moisturizers are the way to go for me. If you are having acne issues, but are not quite sure what is causing them, try a gel moisturizer. I am so glad that I did.

I decided to give this moisturizer a try since it had great reviews on Sephora. There were even a few reviews directly comparing this moisturizer to the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, and they said that Moisture Surge was better. What made me even more open to trying this moisturizer is that it came in so many sizes, so I didn’t really have to invest to try. What made things even better, was that the best deal for the amount of product you get came with a $19 price tag. I don’t mind trying a new moisturizer for $19!

While this moisturizer on the whole is much more expensive than the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, it is so worth it. This is mainly because it really does feel like it does a better job of hydrating your skin. Since starting to use this moisturizer I have had almost no dry spots, and my acne has been lessened. It is as simple as that.

This gel is very smooth to apply, spreads far, and absorbs well into the skin. If I use just the right amount, there is no residue left on my skin after absorption. This moisturizer works great under makeup, and I believe can act as a primer. I do not use a primer, with the exception of Benefit’s POREfessional on my nose, and my makeup stays in place all day. This 1 oz jar usually lasts me around a month, but I probably apply more than I need to. I just love it so much!

Final Thoughts

I really love this moisturizer. It works so well for my skin, and I can’t even express how thankful I am to find something that works well for me. It can be such a battle, finding the right skin care products for you.

If you want to try this moisturizer, you can actually do it for free right now. There is currently a promotion running through Sephora, where if you spend $25 on an online purchase, just use the code “thirst” and you will get 7 samples of this moisturizer. Hopefully they haven’t run out of this promotion yet, but you never know when they will, so I suggest you get your hands on it right away! It is so worth it and I really don’t think that I’ll be changing moisturizers any time soon. However, like I said, I am a bit curious about that Tarte one, however it is decently more expensive than Clinique Moisture Surge.

Advertisements

Share this:

Like this:

Related

Originator of SUPERNOVABEAUTY. In order to escape the 9-5 life of a graduate student slave, I have devoted myself deeply to beauty products. I am very passionate about trying the latest and the greatest and can definitely say that I am an addict. At all hours of the day you can find me watching beauty tutorials and reviews by some of youtube's most influential, such as Tati, Kathleenlights, Roxette Arisa, jeffreestar and JAMbeauty89.